Bacchanaal van kinderen 1622 - 1691

Curator: This is "Bacchanaal van kinderen," attributed to Lorenzo Loli, dating from 1622 to 1691. It's an engraving currently residing here at the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It's giving me tipsy cherubs! There's such a sense of… indulgent mischief in those lines. Like a party where nobody invited the grown-ups. Curator: The line work is indeed quite striking. Note how Loli uses varied densities of hatching to suggest volume and light on the figures' skin and the surrounding objects. It emphasizes the baroque style—dynamic movement, rich details—though rendered with simplicity in a monochrome palette. Editor: And the composition! A tipsy, reclining child, guzzling directly from a small barrel held up by his pal… it feels very irreverent. It makes me wonder, is this about more than just drunk toddlers? Curator: The reference to Bacchanaal does invite consideration of classical themes—wine, ecstasy, liberation from inhibitions. These putti embody unrestrained joy. Considering the period, it could be viewed as a subtle commentary on societal constraints through a historical lens. The children are free. Editor: Yes, but those aren’t normal kids – they’re little gods. Look at that child sprawled out—a future Bacchus, maybe? Drunk on immortality or simply a touch too much grape juice? It tickles me, this image. The scene almost makes you feel like laughing along with them Curator: I can see how its immediacy appeals. However, the artistry of this engraving lies beyond the immediately mirthful scene depicted. It is important to view the careful articulation of form and utilization of line that truly exemplifies Loli’s skillful interpretation of a classic genre. Editor: Art has to do both – to make you think and to make you feel. This does both. If art does both, isn’t that more important than showing an audience, Curator, the method and materials used to make it? Curator: Articulation of artistic process is key to proper analysis. Nonetheless, you raise an intriguing point; perhaps art exists when theory intersects emotion. Editor: I couldn't have put it better myself! So let's leave people with that and maybe come back later with a bottle for further debate. Curator: Perhaps not on duty. However, a fascinating proposal to contemplate, all the same.